Stirling council reviews 2020 energy report

By Nikki Jameson on January 30, 2021.

view report on the Village of Stirling’s energy program in 2020.
During their regular Jan. 20 meeting, Stirling council was presented with a report on the energy program in 2020.
“This program was a comprehensive cost analysis of the village’s energy costs in relation to electricity and natural gas. The review, put together by Mayor Trevor Lewington, provided a detailed breakdown of all costs associated with our energy consumption. Through the review we were able to validate the village is still a net-zero community,” said village CAO Scott Donselaar. “The review also provided a look at earning potentials the village has moving its electrical sites over to the municipally-owned Ridge Utilities. Ridge Utilities offers a solar club rate for micro-generators, such as the earning potential is significantly higher than our current energy program.”
The review also showed areas where the village can be more efficient. Donselaar said one example of this concerned area is with metres that consume little power – but have high costs associated with them with administration and distribution fees because they are metered, such as the village’s soccer field irrigation.
“By having this report, we are now looking towards options for eliminating those costs via supply by other means, or what options we have to mitigate them.”
The review report had also highlighted that while the village has an extremely good rate for their natural gas, it would benefit them greatly by moving their electrical accounts to Ridge Utilities.
“The report contained a detailed analysis of the village’s energy consumption costs, as related to electrical and natural gas, and also looked at our energy production via our solar generation. It then compared rates and earning potentials by moving our sites to Ridge Utilities, which is the Village of Stirling’s municipally-owned corporation,” said Donselaar. “The conclusion was reached with Ridge Utilities’ solar club rates the village stood to gain financially by switching our electrical services over to Ridge Utilities. This creates positive revenues for the village, as well as for the corporation.”
Council passed multiple motions, confirming net zero status, transitioning the village’s electricity and natural gas consumption to Ridge Utilities, and refurbishing the camp shelter/kitchen and kiosk/visitor centre for consideration in 2022.
Other motions included eliminating electrical service to the soccer field and potential replacements, and monitoring for the village’s solar systems.

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